Viagra reaction to limp idea cans agency's parody

Auckland , NZ : An advertising agency has been forced to cancel a marketing parody of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra after squabbling with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer over whether the campaign was legal.

Nebula Marketing promoted itself with the tagline "Niagra ... the proven marketing performance enhancer". The copy in their promotion continued: "Marketing strategy a bit limp and flaccid? Brand suffering from promotional dysfunction?"

Only problem - they sent heir self promotion to Pfizer (Viagra) - and Pfizer were not amused.

Mark Crotty, general manager of Pfizer NZ, said the company objected for two reasons. The first was that erectile dysfunction was a serious issue and should not be ridiculed. The second was the "ripping off of our investment".

"It's about the investment we made in our brand - and [Nebula's] arrogance that they didn't realise that," said Crotty.

Nebula managing director Andy McDowell said the campaign was telling, tongue-in-cheek, a good story to a niche market.

But when it was sent to Pfizer as part of a mailout to Nebula's pharmaceutical database, the drug giant was unimpressed.

It accepted an apology from Nebula, then insisted on publication of a further apology, destruction of the marketing material and an undertaking that no other such material would be distributed.

read more at New Zealand Herald